If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is in the foreseeable future. (Or if you aren’t in the middle of Canada, you might already be in summer…) It is the time when I try to force myself to take time and relax outside, typically with a book. And while I adore historical fiction at any time of the year, I can’t get enough of it in the summer. So, to hopefully spur on your own summer reading adventures, I’ve gathered the best summer 2022 historical fiction books* that I will be reading!
* If the book has not already been published, I’ve included the release date.
The Best Summer 2022 Historical Fiction Books
The Murder of Mr. Wickham, Claudia Gray
The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.
Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. The unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.
Why I Want to Read This…
I will be very honest, I will read most books that are inspired by Austen but this premise caught my eye. I don’t know that I’ve read a book where Austen’s characters meet, and I’m drawn to the idea of them coming together. This book is already out, and I’m about halfway through- so far, I am loving it!
Kaikeyi, Vaishnavi Patel
So begins Kaikeyi’s story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on tales about the might and benevolence of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.
Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her.
But as the evil from her childhood stories threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. And Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak—and what legacy she intends to leave behind.
Why I Want to Read This….
I know that mythical re-tellings have become very popular in the last decade, but Kaikeyi is standing out to me. My knowledge of myths is largely centred on Western mythology, and I’m excited to branch out into Eastern mythology. I will definitely be saving this for the July long weekend so that I can enjoy it slowly!
The Blue Butterfly, Leslie Johnson Nack
New York 1915, Marion Davies is a shy eighteen-year-old beauty dancing on the Broadway stage when she meets William Randolph Hearst and finds herself captivated by his riches, passion and desire to make her a movie star. Following a whirlwind courtship, she learns through trial and error to live as Hearst’s mistress when a divorce from his wife proves impossible. A baby girl is born in secret in 1919 and they agree to never acknowledge her publicly as their own. In a burgeoning Hollywood scene, she works hard making movies while living a lavish partying life that includes a secret love affair with Charlie Chaplin. In late 1937, at the height of the depression, Hearst wrestles with his debtors and failing health, when Marion loans him $1M when nobody else will. Together, they must confront the movie that threatens to invalidate all of Marion’s successes in the movie industry: Citizen Kane.
Why I Want to Read This…
I have older movies that I rewatch again and again (Funny Face and Holiday Inn are two that come to mind), but I stick with the same few actors. So, these are actors that I know of but haven’t watched much with them in it. (Yes, I know I need to watch Citizen Kane!) I also find that hist fic will often draw me into a subject or film that I wouldn’t normally be interested in, so I’m hoping that is the case here!
By Her Own Design, Piper Huguley (7 June 2022)
1953, New York City
Less than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy, Jr, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe’s dress shop and ruins eleven dresses, including the expensive wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them. She and her seamstresses will find the way to re-create the dresses. It may take all day and all night for the next two weeks to accomplish the task, but they will do it.
1918, Tampa
Raised in Jim Crow Alabama, Ann learned the art of sewing from her mother and her grandmother, a former slave, who are the most talented seamstresses in the state. After Ann elopes at twelve with an older man who soon proves himself to be an abusive alcoholic, her dreams of becoming a celebrated designer seem to be put on hold. But then a wealthy Tampa socialite sees Ann’s talent and offers her an amazing opportunity–the chance to sew and design clothing for Florida’s society elite. Taking her young son in the middle of the night, Ann escapes her husband and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.
Why I Want to Read This…
I knew I needed to include this on my list of summer 2022 historical fiction, I cannot wait for this book. Ann Lowe is one of the most fascinating designers for me, but there is still so little written on her (fictional or otherwise). I will definitely be saving the second weekend in June for reading this!
Mademoiselle Revolution, Zoe Sivak (2 August 2022)
Sylvie de Rosiers, as the daughter of a rich planter and an enslaved woman, enjoys the comforts of a lady in 1791 Saint-Domingue society. But while she was born to privilege, she was never fully accepted by island elites. After a violent rebellion begins the Haitian Revolution, Sylvie and her brother leave their family and old lives behind to flee unwittingly into another uprising—in austere and radical Paris. Sylvie quickly becomes enamored with the aims of the Revolution, as well as with the revolutionaries themselves—most notably Maximilien Robespierre and his mistress, Cornélie Duplay.
As a rising leader and abolitionist, Robespierre sees an opportunity to exploit Sylvie’s race and abandonment of her aristocratic roots as an example of his ideals, while the strong-willed Cornélie offers Sylvie safe harbor and guidance in free thought. Sylvie battles with her past complicity in a slave society and her future within this new world order as she finds herself increasingly torn between Robespierre’s ideology and Cornélie’s love.
When the Reign of Terror descends, Sylvie must decide whether to become an accomplice while a new empire rises on the bones of innocents…or risk losing her head.
Why I Want to Read This…
Television and books have recently started showing characters from the Caribbean colonies in British society (like Sanditon), but I’ve not come across many fictional representations in Europe. (That doesn’t mean they aren’t out there- if you have any to recommend, please let me know!) The French Revolution gets boiled down to fairly simplistic terms, but I am incredibly interested to see how an acknowledgement of slavery could have gone during the period. And I’ve heard it is well-researched, which always pulls me in as an historian.
What books are on your list of summer 2022 historical fiction books to read?
Cheers,
The Historian
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